Konoha 11
by Ms.GrinAndCry
Summary: The falls. A series of fics recalling the deaths of the Konoha 11. Short chapter-fic with an overreaching theme. Disregarding Canon (or most of it, anyway). Enjoy.
1. One - Kiba

One

Felt hand penetrate chest in a flurry of lightning and hate.

Felt oblivion grow as blood flowed from heart.

Felt old. Akamaru was gone (_again,_ his mind said,_ you've failed to protect him)._

Didn't want to go. Could see images flash across eyes.

* * *

><p>"<em>Kiba, you little shit! Get back here!"<em>

Saw face resembling his, but feminine, older, and sharp.

"_Akamaru!"_

Saw vision of scarlet and horror. Saw blonde boy with foxy whiskers deceive life partner.

"_S-sh… Shino?"_

Saw childhood teammate crumple and fall amidst the thousands of corpses. Felt bile rise in his throat and heard himself yell bloody murder.

"_Congratulations, Inuzuka-san. It's a girl."_

Saw small plump hands reach for first love. Saw wife smile at him from the corner of his eyes.

"_Why?"_

Saw small fragile body of child. Sad blood drip down lips as he held knife to throat. Remember apologies and something along the lines of "part of the mission".

"_Yo, Kiba!"_

Saw Mr. Sunshine Uzumaki trot up to him, a present at hand. For his girl.

"_Forgive me, Kiba."_

Saw irises of milky purity fade into the abyss. Felt throat clench and unclench. Another teammate gone.

* * *

><p>"Pathetic."<p>

Eyes of a demon, two red moons, prodigy and genius and ultimate goal.

Felt wisps of electricity at his fingertips. Saw the Avenger smile.

Nothing to live for.

He lunged.

He missed.

He stayed on the floor and could no longer get up.

* * *

><p>"I know that I've brought you nothing but pain and suffering. I broke my word. I swore I'd always protect you. Akamaru, I'm sorry. Sorry I wasn't a better master. I'm here. Here for you. Forever."<p> 


	2. Two - Hinata

Two

She'd had enough. She'd gone and made herself vulnerable.

As she stared at her cousin's eyes, she realized how weak she truly was.

* * *

><p>"<em>Hinata! I've already explained this to you. Why can't you understand?!"<em>

Father glowered. I ducked my head. Ashamed. I could never do anything right.

"_Don't touch me. Don't talk to me. Don't LOOK at me. You're not worthy of the Clan heir position. You only serve to make father sad."_

Stared at sister, stunned. Sad.

"_Hey! Hinata-chan! How's it goin'? Haven't seen ya in like, forever! Let's go get some ramen, ne?"_

Felt heart thump loudly against chest, felt heat rise to cheeks. Felt smile pulling at my lips.

"_Mommy?"_

Smiled at blonde child by my feet.

"_N-n…. Neji… NEJI! Wh-here are you g-going…?! If you leave, they'll label you a missing-nin!"_

Saw cousin stare at me impassibly. Saw him regarding me coldly. Saw his back.

"_Shino…"_

Felt tears stream down face in torrents of despair. We'd though we were invincible. Now we were incomplete.

"_Hinata-chan. You're not weak, and you're not stupid, so please stop saying such mean things about yourself. You're a beautiful soul with potential, and you must exploit it. You must swim against the current. I trust in you, Hinata-chan."_

Held sensei's, _mother's_, hand. Held hand until it was cold and clammy, until the nurses asked me to leave. Couldn't , wouldn't, go to the funeral. Cried.

* * *

><p>She stared at eyes reflecting hers, blood oozing out of the corners of her mouth. Held into cousin's shirt, tightened grip, grit teeth.<p>

"Neji… Neji, why?"

Saw eyes like the moon turn dark, bitter. Saw shadows and dead people dance on the moon.

"Because you called me a genius. Because you called me a genius… and I couldn't wait to prove you wrong."

Was left abandoned, a bloody resemblance at something once human.

Lost sight in two days.

In two more days, smelled the warmth of an old friend. Heard yelling, cursing.

"Hinata! Hinata, what happ-?!"

"Forgive me, Kiba."

Was gone.

* * *

><p>"In my eyes... You're a proud failure!"<p> 


	3. Three - Shino

Three

Too many. They swarm up to meet him and it's all he can do to acknowledge the fact that he will be the first one to go.

* * *

><p>"<em>Papa, why don't people like us?"<em> The man he calls father stops reading the morning paper to look at him. He takes off his glasses and grabs his face between his hands, running his thumbs over his cheeks.

"_Freak! Eek, don't touch me!" _The girls scream and run away.

"_Yo, Shino! You should've just said it was you – you're way to enigmatic!"_Uzumaki smiles at him.

"_Sh-Shino-san, it's o-okay. Just let me t-take a look at your injuries, p-please."_ Even though she stutters, Shino knows better than to argue. He silently complies.

"_SHINO, YOU BASTARD!" _He hears Kiba scream at him after he sets fleas on Akamaru. He tugs his collar up further across his face, hiding his smile.

"_Sooooooo…,"_ the cute girl at the book store is leaning over the desk, smiling and looking at him. He shifts uncomfortably and flushes when he catches sight of her grin. "_Take me on a date,"_ she says, and he's too stunned to say no. He takes her to watch the butterflies' blossom.

* * *

><p>He is vaguely aware that Kiba is screaming bloody murder somewhere behind him, and he practically feels the desperation pouring off Hinata. The swarm of enemy shinobi lays at his feet but he is not without injury. He feels cold. He falls.<p>

Umi wanted to go watch the fireflies next week, he thinks. Hinata and Naruto were getting married. Kiba's kid had just been born.

He hears the buzz of his bugs, closes his eyes, and flies away.

* * *

><p>"<em>The sky is too vast for a person to live life alone."<em>


End file.
